Climbing trees, especially very tall trees, can be dangerous if you are not properly equipped with the necessary tools and accessories. The good news is that, unlike when you were a kid when you climbed trees with nothing but your bare hands and a prayer, you now have strong, sturdy, and scientifically tested equipment to help you on our way up to the top of the trees. These include ascenders and descenders, harnesses, carabiners, and of course, ropes loaded with technology. Among the latter is the Pelican Rope No 4AR-1650 16-Strand Arborist Rope.

The Pelican 4AR-1650 is a high-strength composite climbing rope consisting of a nylon parallel kern or core that is non-rotational, and a mantle or sheath of braided polyester. The mantle features 16 strands, and is steam set to prevent its slippage, or milking, over the kern. The result is a smooth-running rope with fewer snags and less abrasions, and thus a longer rope life. The sheath is also resistant to chemicals and soiling.

The rope has a diameter of 0.5 inch or 12.5 mm. Each 100 feet length weighs 7.73 lbs. Tensile strength is rated at 8,260 lbs., or the equivalent of 36.74kN.

There are several color combinations in which the Pelican Rope No 4AR-1650 16-Strand Arborist Rope is available. These are: orange and black, orange and yellow, blue and white, and orange and white. There is also the pure white. All of these are very visible colors allowing you to easily see and locate them even in area with lush foliage.

With such a rope, you can relive your younger days climbing trees in your backyard. Only this time, your world has expanded and you are now probably climbing trees in some forest away from home. Just do not forget to bring your climbing gear with you. Especially your Pelican Rope No 4AR-1650 16-Strand Arborist Rope.

Built for Canadian loggers, the All Gear Forestry Pro Climbing Line is an extraordinarily strong climbing rope yet it is affordable. Often it is rare to find these two characteristics together in one rope and this is what makes the Forestry Pro increasingly popular among other climbers, both professional and amateurs, and both Canadian and non-Canadian. Although originally exclusive to the Canadian tree workers, they are now widely available in the market.

The climbing line is a high-performance 12-strand rope made of 100% polyester. This makes the rope extremely resilient, quickly recovering its shape even after prolonged knotting, winding on some object, or carrying of loads. It has a high tensile strength and thus will not unduly stretch or elongate even when subjected to heavy loads or pulling. After relief of the stress, it readily returns to its original state. This is true even if the rope is wet, retaining its full force and power.

It is also resistant to abrasion and snagging thus helping to prolong is service life. It dries quickly which makes it suitable for use when climbing in wet or damp conditions. It also resists damage from mold, mildew, and other biological organisms.

The All Gear Forestry Pro Climbing Line is normally available in white with red tracers. When ordering 1,200 feet or more of the rope, however, you can ask for special colors. They are available in diameters of ½”, 5/8″, or ¾”.

The ½” ropes come in lengths of 120′, 150′, and 600′, weighing less than 1 oz. per ft. These have a breaking strength of 7,300 lbs. The 5/8″ ropes are available in 150′, 200′, and 600′, and have a breaking strength of 11,000 lbs. These are slightly heavier at about 2 oz. per ft. Lengths available for the ¾” ropes are 150′, 200′, and 600′. Breaking strength is 14,000 lbs, with a weight of 2.6 oz. per foot.

Owing to its superior strength yet extremely lightweight construction, the Samson Rope AmSteel Blue is used in a variety of applications apart from its use by arborists. It also comes in various sizes allowing its use as water ski/wakeboard/kite, trawl/bridle, tug, winch, or rigging line.

The rope is a non-rotational or torque free single braid type with 12 strands. It does not stretch and has excellent resistance to flex fatigue and wear. In terms of its elongation, it is similar to wire ropes. However, it outlasts them on a ratio of 3:1. For this reason, it is often seen as a replacement for wire ropes. It is also easily spliced and inspected.

Notwithstanding this strength, the AmSteel Blue is lightweight. Although it is stronger than steel given the same size, it floats. Because of this, it is often used for water-related applications. This also makes it easier to carry around.

The strength and wear- and fatigue- resistance of the rope is due to its construction solely from Dyneema SK-75 fiber that is coated with Samthane. Dyneema is a high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE). This means that it is a very tough material as it has the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic currently available. Samthane, on the hand, further improves the rope’s resistance to abrasions and cuts. It is also protected from the degradation effects of ultraviolet light with special stabilizers.

The standard color of the rope is blue, but it is also available in red, green, and orange by special order. It comes in various sizes ranging from 3/16″ or 5 mm up to 3 ¾” or 80 mm, with the former weighing 1 lb per foot and the latter 240 lbs.

Featuring Samson’s Sure Grip technology, the Samson Velocity Climbing Line does not need a breaking-in period before you can actually use it for your tree climbing adventures. You can go to your trees straight from where you bought it. The flexibility of the rope will give the impression that it has already been broken-in.

The Velocity has a diameter of 11 mm or 7/16 inches. Weighing only 5.6 pounds per 100 feet, it is one of the lightest climbing ropes available in the market. Indeed, it was designed for tree climbers who trek to remote areas in the wilderness for their climbs. In spite of its relatively small diameter and light weight, it has an average strength of 6,000 pounds.

It is constructed with a 24-strand spliceable, braided polyester sheath covering a stabilized nylon core. Being made of polyester, the sheath is abrasion and UV ray resistant, does not alter its length when wet, and does not stretch excessively when loaded.

The rope runs through carabiners, ascenders, and descenders smoothly. It also has good knot-holding capabilities, and is excellent for footlocking.

The Samson Velocity Climbing Line is available in two versions –the Velocity Cool and the Velocity Hot. Cool comes in a combination of white, blue, and green strands; while the Hot is in white, red, and orange. Both the Cool and Hot are highly visible even in dense foliage.

The best climbing lines are those that are lightweight yet durable. Combining these two charcteristics, the Yale Blue Moon Climbing Line is increasingly becoming a popular choice among climbers.

Featuring Yale Cordage’s exclusive Tite Braid sheath, this 24-strand kernmantle climbing rope eliminates milking that can cause undue loss of rope strength. Constructed with a double braid, the sheath works extremely well with mechanical ascending tools. It is also smooth which allows the cams and shields of most ascenders glide effortlessly over the rope. The core is a braided filament polyester guaranteeing a firm climbing line that is flexible with good knotting capabilities. It also resists work hardening.

With its size of 11.7 mm, it combines light weight with durability and a gripping surface that feels almost like a conventional ½-inch rope. The yarns are dyed with a high-tenacity neon solution that makes the rope highly visible in lush foliage. The predominantly blue rope with a scattering of black and red highlights is also pleasing to the eye.

The Yale Blue Moon Climbing Line’s elastic elongation is a low two percent at working load resulting in minimal bounce. It has an average breaking strength of 6,500 pounds and a working load of 600 pounds. A hundred feet of this rope weighs only 6.5 pounds.

This competition-grade rope is available with either one or two eye splices.

Made out of 100% polyester, the Samson True Blue Climbing Line is an extremely strong static rope with a minimum stretch under heavy loads. It also has an excellent resistance to abrasion as well as ultraviolet rays, guaranteeing a long service life. Changes in length due to exposure to moisture or water is also minimal.

White polyester is wrapped in a 12-strand braid of blue polyester dyed in a special solution. With this type of construction, you are immediately alerted if the rope’s cover is too worn out for safe use. Once the white polyester starts showing, you will know that the rope is no longer reliable.

The blue dye solution applied to the polyester will neither run nor fade assuring high rope visibility even in trees with lush foliage. The rope is quite flexible and can be easily tied into different types of knots. It is also firm and resilient, easily returning to its round shape when freed from pressure. As it is of a single-braid design, milking is minimized if not eliminated.

Apart from its main use as a climbing rope, it can also be employed for light to medium duty rigging. It has a diameter of ½ inch and can be purchased either in its 120 or 150 feet versions.

The high strength and flexibility of the New England Ropes Safety Blue and Safety Blue Hi-Vee climbing lines make them excellent choices for tree climbing. These ropes are not colored blue, at least not on the outside, but they have a blue core inside that, when exposed, alerts users that it is no longer fit for safe usage due to excessive abrasion or wearing. The Safety Blue is colored white while the Safety Blue Hi-Vee, which stands for high visibility, is a combination of fluorescent orange and white. This means that even if it is dirty it remains visible.

Both Safety Blue versions are 16-strand single-braid ropes consisting of tightly-plied polyester fibers wrapped around polyolefin cores. This reduces weight but keeps the rope round and firm. As additional protection for the ropes, they are coated with a special material that is highly resistant to abrasions thus increasing the ropes’ useful lives.

Weighing 7 pounds per 100 feet, these ropes are lightweight. Yet they are also strong, with Safety Blue having a breaking strength of 7,700 pounds, while that of the Hi-Vee version is 7,000 pounds. Both ropes are also spliceable.

The ropes do not degrade due to sunlight and are resistant to electrical current if they are free from dirt, water, or other contaminants. They also resist most chemicals including most alkalines as well as bleaching solutions.

They are available in lengths of 120′, 150′, 200′, or a reel of 600′.

Tree climbers, whenever they scale trees with their ropes, literally put their lives on the line. Thus, it is quite understandable that they should exercise extra care when choosing their climbing lines. It has to be extremely strong, yet very flexible; it must have a low stretch, and a good resistance to abrasion –just like the Samson True White Climbing Line.

The True White is a 12-strand rope that is made of 100% polyester. This gives the rope the required strength. With its flexibility, it has excellent knot holding capabilities. It is also soft to the touch which makes working with it very comfortable. With the rope’s single braid construction, milking is eliminated. Also, it remains firm and round even with continuous use.

With its material and design, the Samson True White Climbing Line is expected to have a long service life, not only as a climbing line, but also for light to medium duty rigging.

The rope has a diameter of 12 mm and weighs 13.1 kg per 100 m. It has an average strength of 3,300 kg, with a minimum of 3,000 kg.

As with almost all climbing gear, the criterion of excellence is a balance between superior strength and minimum weight. This standard appears to have been kept in mind by the manufacturers of the Samson ArborMaster Bigfoot Climbing Line.

The rope has a strength of 8,100 pounds, yet it weighs a mere 7.7 pounds per hundred feet. Even when the ArborMaster Bigfoot is the only thing keeping you from serious disaster, you can feel confident that no such thing will happen. And if you have to walk several miles to where the beautiful trees and sceneries are, you don’t have to worry about running out of steam before you get there because the rope is lightweight.

The ArborMaster Bigfoot is a single braid spliceable rope with 16 strands and a diameter of ½ inch. As it is a pliable and supple rope, it can easily be used for friction hitches including the Tautline and Blake’s hitch. It is a static rope with a stretch of only 0.60% at 200 pounds. Being made of polyester with a nylon core, it is resistant to abrasion and ultraviolet degradation.

The length of the rope is not greatly affected with wetness. Also, it has a smooth and durable surface which makes gripping comfortable and foot locking easy. Even when subjected to tension, the ArborMaster Bigfoot will not rotate thus keeping you steady and secure.

Intended to be visible, the rope comes in bright color combinations –blue and yellow; blue and white; red, black, and white; and gold and white.

When your life literally hangs on a thread you will want one that is strong, firm, and durable such as the Samson Arbor-Plex Climbing Line.

The Arbor-Plex is a kernmantle rope with an interior made of polyolefin fibers. Polyolefin is a new class of polymer that is both tough and elastic giving the rope its durability and flexibility. The mantle, or the exterior sheath, is made of Duron II™ polyester jacket fibers. These fibers are resistant to abrasion and wear keeping the kern safely covered.

Although there are Arbor-Plex ropes of bigger diameters which are intended for rigging, that of the climbing line is ½ inch or 12 mm. The rope is considered light as it weighs only 6.8 lbs for per 100 feet. In spite of being lightweight, this 12-strand, single braid rope is strong as it has a breaking strength of 6,000 lbs.

Arbor-Plex can hold knots pretty well because it stays flexible. Since it is lightweight, throwing it is easy. And because of the Duron II™ mantle, it will not get snagged on the tree branches. You can use Arbor-Plex even in wet weather as it is resistant to mildew. Apart from this, it is also resists chemicals and ultraviolet rays.